It has been reported that there is a large outbreak of Covid-19 within a primary school in Co. Kerry, with upwards of 40 confirmed cases.
Cullina National School in Beaufort, Co Kerry has been flagged by public health officials, as one in five out of the school’s 160 pupils have now tested positive for the virus within days of each other.
The school’s principal, Leona Twiss, remarked in a letter sent home to parents, “It is shocking how quickly the virus has spread”.
The letter explained that even vaccinated parents have been affected by the outbreak, testing positive for the virus along with children who present no symptoms. She also noted that others who have received several negative results from home antigen tests have gone on to receive a positive PCR test result.
“Please don’t rely on antigen tests, particularly if your child has symptoms,” Ms Twiss urged parents in her letter, adding, “and please remember if a member of a household has symptoms and is waiting for their PCR result, all children in that household (who haven’t received their vaccine) must remain at home until the result of the PCR test is known.”
Despite the number of cases, the school is set to reopen their doors this coming Monday following the midterm break, as advised by HSE officials and the Department of Education.
This news comes as Deputy chief medical officer Dr Ronan Glynn advised parents to reconsider the amount of activities their children partake in. “If your children are going on playdates or engaging in sport, think of all the other activities they are engaging in,” he said.
Yesterday Dr Glynn noted that the more contacts a child has, the more chance the virus has of spreading. While he is unsure as to why there seems to be a rise in Covid infections for primary school children, Dr Glynn did say that the virus is also increasing in all age groups.
“We will see if more needs to be done in the coming days other than what is already being done,” he continued.
